Journey to Land's End II - Part 2

The route to Pengerang 

The moment of truth...

I heard the phone alarm ringing at 04:45am in the morning.
Once that kicked-in, I changed into my riding wear and prepared my Ortlieb trunk bag to carry everything that is essential for the trip.
The first thing that came into mind is move all my gear back into the car and prep the bike for the long haul.
Mohd Radzi said he will be ready after performing his prayers.
While he was at it, I checked out from the hotel and asked if they offer day-use for their rooms.
This is so that we could freshen up after the ride.
"Its RM50 to use the room..," said the front office guy.
I told him that its okay and that we have decided to take a shower along the way back.

Ten kilometres of terror

Our plan was to set out at 06:00am. 
We did just that by heading from town towards the Sg Rengit junction which is about 2km away from the hotel.
After entering the road, it was dark.
Even with a set of powerful LED headlights, it was pure guess work.
The trick was not to hit any potholes or roll over the sandy lumps on the runoff beside the road shoulder.
We did pretty okay along this route which Mohd Radzi described as "!0km of terror".
Another thing was the fact that I didn't pay attention to the details on the map when I charted the route.
Seems that the terrain is undulating all the way from Kota Tinggi to Sg Rengit.
We are looking at an averag of 3.5 - 4.8% gradient.
This is no sweat when you train and since we were riding with a minimal set-up, it wasn't a real big deal...

Rolling is such fun! Giving a thumbs-up to Radzi

A test of wits and endurance

We took full advantage of the early morning weather and progressed some 30km in two hours to reach Felda Air Tawar 5.
Spare the roadkills, dead snakes on the roadside, bumpy ride and heavy vehicle traffic, we made it as far as we could.
The first order of the day was to get something to eat.
Earlier, I bought some bananas which helped in providing energy. I hard a large Camelbak bicycle bottle which I thought, could last the entire journey. 

Authentic Johor Lontong at Felda Air Tawar 5

We caught up for a nice meal at the Felda township. The Johor Lontong was simple and good. After a fulfilling meal, we proceeded towards the Senai - Desaru Highway junction.
At this point, it was like taking a stroll down memory lane.
The last time I visited Desaru was 27 years ago.
Much of the landscape here is barely recognizable.
There are a few beach resorts in the area.
We cycled to the public beach to snap a couple of photographs and resumed the ride..

Desaru revisited

The killer part was a detour towards the end of the beach area where we had to back track towards the Desaru - Pengerang junction.
This was a long climb and a straight journey towards Batu Layar beach which is roughly about 20km away.
Here, there are no stalls or shops along the way.
Its plain and bare.

Mohd Radzi taking a break

I must admit that I am really unfit.
After laying off cycling for nearly a month, my stamina level is at rock bottom.
As usual, I was way at the back trying to pace myself.
We have about 80km to cover in order to reach Sungai Rengit.
And since we took the coastal route, the distance is much longer.
With the sun directly above our heads, the heat had proven to be overwhelming.
Radzi was right ahead and being nearly 10 years younger, I expect him to do really well.
But the heat got the best of him. He was waiting for me to catch up and just as I alighted from the bike, my left thigh was already having cramps.
So, I whipped out my pain relief spray and worked on it.
We had a critical decision to be made. The plan was to get off the road and find a stall to hydrate.

Batu Layar and beyond..

After making past the vast void, we found a construction worker flagging down vehicles.
We knew that if anything had happened, no one would stop.
This is why the recce trip was not for everyone.
Newcomers outnumber the old hands, so, I had to be selective when it comes to picking the right riding partner.
I asked the flagman for directions to the nearest stall.
Two guys who were hanging out in a makeshift shelter pointed me to junction.
They said there is a makan place some 2km away.
That was our best bet...

Chilling out in Batu Layar

Luck was on our side as we found a shop in this village.
We hydrated and pushed towards Punggai and Teluk Ramunia.
I've never been to this part of the country and was surprised to find such a beautiful place.
After passing Teluk Ramunia, we were inching closer towards Sungai Rengit.
There, a decision was made.
We've done the route and since time and weather became a factor, I terminated the ride in Sungai Rengit.
In town, we cycled to a hawker centre and had lunch there.
Later, we went to a taxi stand and boarded a car back to Kota Tinggi..

Mission accomplished: Arrival in Sungai Rengit

Packing the bikes for the journey to Kota Tinggi

Conclusion

We made good time and reached Kota Tinggi by 04:30pm.
After packing up the bikes, we were on the move.
By 07:30pm, we reached the Ayer Keroh R&R area and had dinner.
We split the cost and talked about the finer points of the journey.
In total, we rode some 93km one-way.
The road conditions were pretty crappy and I wouldn't recommend this ride for people who are inexperienced.
To make it all the way, one must have at least a year or more of experience.
Being a self-supported ride, the guys must also possess skills like recovering the bikes in case of any emergencies.
Far too often, I've been disappointed by people who expect their punctured tires to be fixed by anyone other than themselves.
For a ride like this, one must be able to take on the harsh environment and unpredictable nature of the road.
So, that said, primadonnas and wannabes are out.
As far as the journey is concerned, I conclude that one must be prepared to take on the long journey and pack extra food and water as the situation warrants it..

Journey to Land's End II - Part 1

What about the 'other' end???

I had a couple of days off and the desire to explore Southeastern Johor.
The destination: Pengerang district which is on the Eastern side of the Tebrau straits.
This is practically about 100km away from Johor Baru and is accessible via the new Senai - Desaru Highway.
But my journey starts from another town.

Creating the route

Initially, I wanted to cycle from Kulai which is located along the train route towards Kota Tinggi.
In the past, I've traveled to the area to cover Court and Crime cases when I was based as a reporter in Johor Baru.
So, the plan was simple, set out to Kulai, get off the train and ride towards Kota Tinggi and stage the ride from there to Sungai Rengit in the Pengerang district.
I've been to these towns once when I was covering a baby-smuggling syndicate in Pengerang.
But, after much thought, I don't have the luxury of time.
So, it has to be cut short and by using the best possible way to stage the ride.
I ended up driving to Kota Tinggi where I booked a night's stay at a local hotel.
The plan was cut short to a day trip to Sungai Rengit and see what happens.

Rounding up the Usual Suspects

Since we were heading into the unknown, I stayed away from inviting joyriders to avoid doing baby-sitting work.
Co-incidentally, there was a weekend ride organised by a teacher from Rawang to Serendah.
Most of the joyriders were involved in it, so, that gave me plenty of room to pick and choose the "right stuff".
So, I emailed my regular kakis Roger Teoh and Patric Yee including newcomer Mohd Radzi Mohd Noor.
Both Roger and Patric are seasoned touring and bikepacking riders.
I have issues with them as they have earned my trust over a few long rides.
Unfortunately, both had to decline the ride due to personal commitments.
I ended up doing the ride with Radzi, who is untested on extended stay and rides.
The only time I hooked up with him on an overnight trip was to Raub last year.
Radzi, it seems, is a strong rider who owns a basic folding bike: the Dahon ECO7.
That is just enough to cover the 90km-plus distance that we were about to try out from Kota Tinggi to Pengerang...

Mohd Radzi in Parit Jawa, near Muar, Johor

Keeping it original...

I never try to replicate what other people do.
And I think its utterly shameful to rip off a fellow cyclist's planned route.
That's why I am never interested in the glamour and publicity one seeks to make a name for himself.
I stay away from the bright lights and limelight.
I won't be surprised if some wise guy will use my route in Hulu Geroh to turn it into a "Rafflesia Ride".
This ride to Pengerang is as good as it gets on a folding bike which places us on the lead when it comes to long-rides with a folding bike.
People have done Tanjung Piai which is officially the Land's End of the Asian continent.
I think Sungai Rengit is worth a try.
And so it begins.. 
We drove to Kota Tinggi and checked-in at a hotel called Rest-Inn.
The weekend rates were rather high, but we had no choice.
We needed the rest go get a head start early in the morning.

The route to Kota Tinggi's waterfalls...

The night market in town

A street scene

The town's bridge

How time flies..

We went around town to pick up some supplies after checking into our room.
Radzi and I had agreed to share the cost which covers fuel, food and lodging.
After a short break we had dinner at a famous Chinese-muslim restaurant called Hassan Ong.
The quality of the dishes served at this place is just average and for a small town's standards, its pretty pricey.
We had steamed fish, shrimp omelette and kung-po squid..

Radzi the shutterbug

After a good fill, we walked to a wholesale market which is roughly about a kilometre away and bought some bananas.
This will be our fuel for the next morning.
We went back to the hotel and discussed about our ride options.
The plan was to either do a round-trip on the bike, or terminate the ride in Sungai Rengit.
I used the time I had at night to pack up my Ortlieb trunk bag.
The idea I had was to carry all my essentials including a First Aid Kit, rain jacket, recovery kit and my personal belongings like ID card, money and credit card.
This was not an issue since the trunk bag is able to accommodate the important cargo..
As for the ride, much lies ahead in the day to come..

Raub revisited

Optimising my off days..
I had a few days off.
The previous working days were spent on proof-reading my new book.
Now that its going to print, I can sigh with relief.
One year of ding-donging and yo-yoing between emotions was put to rest.
So, I rang up Ah Pan, an old buddy of mine who wanted to show me his new project, a budget homestay on the foothills of Raub in Pahang.
Since I met him, Ah Pan had been living in Bentong for eight years.
He was very excited to show me a villa, which is rented to corporate big-wigs.
Its owned by a developer and was named after his daughter.
The name's too cheesy to mention.
Anyway, I took a drive from my home in Subang Jaya to Karak where I met Ah Pan and Farmer Wong, another friend of mine.
We had breakfast and parted ways.

Breakfast with my farmer friends

A beautiful view of the mountains in Raub

We drove towards Bentong and made a turn near the Fraser's Hill junction.
The villa is located near Sang Lee, a Chinese village some 15km away.
Seems like its a good cycling route.
But the road leading towards the junction is laden with heavy traffic.
I was really surprised with the villa that the developer had built.
We met him at the reception area of the accommodation facility.
A night at this villa costs about RM8k. They have three of such facilities that are fully equipped.
To me, its just another yuppie getaway.
I heard that the place was used for some high-powered meetings. So, all those Snakes, Crocs and Lizards would hang around to talk business.
Since the owner was busy, we went over to the proposed budget accommodation on the other side of the road.
At this point in time, it was just a worksite.
I don't know what Ah Pan had told the guy because he had expected some publicity from my visit.
But seeing as it is, the guy was not hospitable. So, after we inspected the site, we drove back to Karak town to meet up with Farmer Wong's arms dealer for lunch.

A posh set-up

The Samo-mobile mkII on its maiden long-distance voyage...

A view from the budget homestay site..

I don't see any prospect in staying at the villa because the cost is out of this planet.
As for the budget homestay, there's nothing yet.
But the route is something that I was really interested in.
Perhaps in the future, I will organise a short scouting ride from Bentong to Raub using the Sang Lee route..